Air cleaner



Dec. 29,1931." w. c. WILSON 1,338,513

I AIR CLEANER Filed Aug. 19, 1930 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29,1931.

w. -c. WILSON AIR CLEANER Filed Aug. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wa-L'rnn. o. WILSON; or nonnovm, canroamn am CLEAIEB Application'flled August 19, 1980. Serial No. 476,280.

This invention relates to a device for cleancleaner adapted for use on internal combustion engines. Q

A principal object of the invention is to devise and construct an improved air cleaner having a substantially constant resistance to air flow at the operating ranges of the engine to which it is attached.

Another principal object is .the provislon of an air cleaner in which there is no accumulated air restriction at any given velocity of air flow.

Another object is the provision of an air cleaner in which the air is thoroughly cleaned of all injurious foreign material.

Other objects include an air cleaner which is simple in construction and manufacture, and highly eflicient in use and service.

With the above and other objects, which will be apparent, the invention consists in the novel construction and relative arrange ment of parts, members and features shown in a preferred embodiment in the accompanyin drawings, in which:

.igure 1 is a sectional view of the improved a1r cleaner;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view. on a reduced scale;

Fi ures 4 and 5 are enlarged sectionalviews showing a modified construction of the filter retaining walls;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view, showing a modified construction for transmitting pressure for balancing the liquid columns in the device; and 4 Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing a portion of the wall construction of the cleaner.

The desirability of cleaning air for internal combustion engines, particularly for tractors, where air containinga large amount of injurious material is encountered, has been recognized for some time. One of the difficulties involved in attaching an air cleaner to the carburetor is the resistance to air flow and particularly the variable resistance created by most of the known types of air cleaners.

mg air. More specifically it relates to an air,

- 2, which centrally downwardly passage-way 9 Applicant has previously designed an air cleaner to overcome thesedifiiculties. The

subject-matter ofsaid inventionis covered by the United States applications Serial .No. 190,532, filed May 11,1927, and Serial No.

282,799, filed June 24, 1928. This invention relates to an improved cleanerembod in i the rinciples of the prior inventions an a aptmg them to a device more suitable for commercial purposes.

In the drawings, a cylindrical casing 1 is provided with a top in the form of, a casting is secured by studs'3 to an. annular member 4 secured to the casing 1. The member 4 is provided with an annular roove 5 around the outside thereof, into w ich the upper edge of the casing 1 1s bent to form a tight joint. The member 4 is provided centrally with an annular portion 6 to form a support for an air inlet tube which extends into the casing. Web the center portion 6 to the portions 8 join outer portion of the member 4. A substan- .tially annular passage-way is formed between ighe inner and outer portions of the mem-"li The casting 2-is bored to form a central inalignment with the air in inlet tube 7. In the usual construction, an air inlet pipe is secured to the casting communicating with the tube 7. The casting 2 is also cored to form an annular passageway 10 communicating with the passageway formed in the member 4, and an air outlet passa e 11 is also formed extending outwardly from the annular portion 10. The passage-way 11, in the operation of the device, is connected to the air intake of a carburetor by any suitable means, not shown. 1

At the bottom of the cylindrical portion 1 of the casing, amember 12 having substantially the same diameter as the casing is secured thereto by rivets 13. The member 12 is formed to make an air tight fit with the 0! lower portion of the casing. An outwardly projecting head 14 is rolled in the member 12, and, in the assembly of the device, is adapted to fit against the outwardly extending flange 15 on the bottom of the casing 1. "I

- the reservoir,

The rivets 13 and additional rivets 16 secure apertured brackets 17 to the casing for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The member 12 extends downwardly a short distance below'the flange with substantially the same diameter as the casing 1. The lower portion from this point is corrugated as shown in Figure 2, and reduced in iameter. A liquid ,reservoir 18 having substantially the same diameter as the casing 1 is fitted overthe cylindrical portion of the member 12. A rolled head 19 at the top of the reservoir is adapted to fit against. the bead 14. The reservoir is so constructed that an air tight fit is not formed where it contacts with the casing. This construction is so provided that the space or chamber 27 between the upwardly extending wall of the reservoir and the corrugated portion of the member 12 will form an oil seal chamber which is in communication with the atmos here.

The enlarge wall section of the cleaner shown in Figure 7 illustrates a condition which exists in commercial production of an air cleaner embodying the invention Due to inaccuracies true cylindrical walls are never formed, with the result that at different locations around the circumference at the top of the reservoir 18 it will be spaced from the cylindrical portion of the member 12. These spaces form the communication between the chamber 27 and the atmosphere. An annular roove 20 is rolled in the reservoir 18 to orm an'indicator for showing the proper liquid level in the reservoir. Altho various liquids may be used in devices of this type, 011 is generally used. Hereinafter the liquid will be referred to as oil. A strip 21, secured to the bottom of extends laterally to each side thereof and is provided with notched portions 22. Clamp rods 23, secured to the brackets 17, extend throu h the notched portions 22 and are provided with threaded wing nuts 24 for holding the reservoir in position.

As shown in the drawings, the air inlet tube terminates slightly below the normal static level of the liquid in the reservoir, which would be at the groove 20. This is a preferred construction, but it is to be understood that the air inlet tube may terminate adjacent the oil level either below or above. A cylindrical member 25 extends from an intermediate point in the casin ly below the normal voir.

The top of .the member 25 may be circular in cross section, as shown in Figure 1. In some constructions it has been found desirable, for-reasons which willbe described in connection with the operation of the device, to .form indentations 36 at the top of the member 25,'as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

oil level 1n the reserdownward- These indentations may be of any desired shape and number, depending upon the restriction desired. 1

The member 25 is of such a diameter that it engages the inner portions of the corrugations formed in the member 12, as shown in Figure 2. The member 25 is rigidly secured to said corrugated portions by rivets 37, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the modification shown in Fi re 6, the rivets 37 are hollow for transmitting pressure to the air seal chamber, as will be further described in the description of the operation. It will be understood that passage-ways 26 are formed between the member 12 and the member 25 by the corrugations. These pas sage-ways provide a means ofcommunication between a chamber 27 formed between the casing 1 and the member 25 and the oil reservoir. It will be noted, by an inspection of Figure 1, that the sum total of the area of the passage-ways 26 increases as the corrugations flatten out at the top of the member 12 until the area is the same as the cross sectional area of the passage 27. This construction has a particular function, which will be hereinafter described in detail. Adjacent the bottom of themember 25, an inwardly extending head 28 is formed. This bead and a bent-in portion 29 at thebottom of the member provide means for holding an annular bottom member '30 in position. A bottom plate 31 having a centrally located opening 38 is secured by bolts 32 to the annular member 30. In some constructions it has been found desirable to emplo a cap 39 mounted on the plate spaced a opening 38.

A handle or bail 33 is secured to the bottom plate 31 for removing the same when it is found desirable to aim access to the interior of the cleaner or removing chafi' or other such material therefrom. It will be noted that the member 25 terminates a substantial distance below the normal static oil level in the reservoir 18, providing a substantial space and liquid chamber between the end of the air inlet tube 7 and the bottom plate 31.

A screen 34 is positioned at the top of the .chamber formed between the casing 1 and the air inlet tube 7. This chamber is filled with a filtering material such as steel wool packed against the screen 34 and com letely filling the chamber down to. the top 0? the member 25. The filtering material extends down- Wardly into the chamber formed between the air inlet tube 7 and the cylindrical member 25. Adjacent the bottom of the air inlet tube, an annular screen 35 is placed to hold the filtering material in position. It will be noted that in the construction shown the filtering material terminates above the static 1i uid level, as indicated by the groove 20.

,7 n the operation of this device, suction is ove the I 1 created at the air outlet passage 11 by attaching the same to the air inlet of a carburetor. Air pressure in the inlet tube 7 pushes the liquid level down until, when a certain pressure differential is reached between the inlet and outlet of the cleaner, air begins to [flow around the bottom of the air inlet tube ing with it a substantial amount of oi from the beginning of air flow, oil is thrown into the bottom of the filtering material and creates a resistance therein, whereby it is carried up through the filtering material by the air flow. The inlet tube 7 and the member 25 are so spaced that a suificient resistance is created in the filtering material, due to the liquid therein, to carry the liquid up' wardly even at comparatively low rates of air flowjthrough the cleaner. At the top of the member 25-, the velocity of the mixture of air and oil is considerably reduced by the large increase in cross sectional area provided at that point. Due to this action, the oil collects into larger drops. andflows outwardly and downwardly through the chamber 27 and the passage-ways 26, back into the oil reservoir. The additional filtering material above the top of the member 25 in addition 'te its filtering action provides means for removing the oil from the air.

In the modification shown in Figures 4' and 5, the indentations 36 in the top of the member 25 form an additional restriction at the top of the filtering material and a decrease in' the ratio of the cross sectional area above the top of the member 25 and beyond the discharge thereof. This construction has been found effective to obtain a better separation of the liquid from the mixture of air and liquid passing up through the filtering -.material.

- the air inlet tube lowers, due to .the fact that As the velocity of air flow throu h the device increases, the oil level at the ottom of the oil is carried away faster than it enters through the restricted opening 38 in the plate 31. There are also other forces acting which have a tendency to reduce the amount of oil available to be mixed with the air as the rate of air flow increases.

It 'will be understood that the liquidin the oil reservoir has three difierent pressures actin on its surface. Between thereservoir and t e member 12 in the chamber 27 atmospheric pressure is acting on a substantial area of the surface. In the passage-ways 26 formed by the corrugations in t e. member 12, and the member 25, a pressure is acting on the surface which is substantially the same as the outlet pressure ofthe air cleaner, be-

ing somewhat less, due to theresistance in the. filtering material between the top of the assage 27and the outlet. However, asqt ere struction of the joint between the reservoir 18 and the'member 12 becoming clogged up, it

may be desirable to provide other means for communicating atmospheric pressure to the air seal chamber. In the modification shown in Figure 6, the rivets 37 joining the member 25 to the member 12 are hollow, whereby the pressure on'each side of said walls is equalized. By this construction the pressure within' the member 25, which; as has previously been stated, is substatnially atmospheric, is transmitted to the air seal'chamber. It may be found desirable to construct the joint between the reservoir and the casing air tight and to provide a pressure communicating means such as the hollow rivets 37 When a considerable depression is'being created at the outlet ofthe cleaner, this depression is transmitted to the chamber 27 and the passages 26, with the result that the oil level rises in these passages, said passages and said chamber providing in effect a liquid; displacement chamber. If the depression becomes 'sufiicient, the oil rises until it reaches the flared out portions of the member 12 at the beginning of the chamber 27. Beyond this point, a comparatively large amount of oil is necessary to fill the large cross sectional area of the chamber 27. This results in a substantial decrease of the oil level in the liquid seal passage between the member 12 and reservoir wall; As the pressure operative upon the opening 38 is substantially atmospheric plus the height of liquid in the liquid seal chamber, the action of depression in chamber 27 lowers the liquid head effective to force liquid through the opening 38 by lowering the level in the liquid seal chamber 27.

Due to this efiect, as the depression increases and consequently the rate of air flow through the cleaner increases, less oil is delivered through theopening 38 and up through the filtering material. As the oil mixed with the air forms a substantia'l'part in the resistance of the filtering material, it is evident that, as the rate of air flow increases, proportionately less oil being delivered thereto, the resistance in the filtering material does not increase as wouldbe expected, but, due to the lower ratio of liquid to air, it remains substantially constant. In fact, a-device' similar to this has been so constructed in which the resistance The value of is constant over a wide range of air velocities. this is very evident in connection with the use bustion engines, due to the fact that it is difiis cult to get proper carburetion with different engine speeds and loads, if the resistance'inf the air intake varies appreciably.

It is to be understood ciple involved in this device is covered by my co-pending applications. In this application I have shown a preferred embodiment of an improved device having certain novel features which are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. An air cleaner comprising a. casing closed at the top and open at' the bottom, an oil reservoir positioned over the lower por; tion of said casing in overlappingrelationship withrespect from wherebyaliquid seal chamber is formed, said chamber being in communication with the atmospheric, an air inlet tube extending into the casing and terminating adjacent the normal static liquid level in the reservoir, a cup-like member positioned at the inner end of the inlet tube, said member having an apertured bottom portion spaced below the end of the inlet tube and upwardly extending walls spaced in part wall of the casing, filtering material disposed I between the inlettube and the cup-like member walls and walls, and an casing.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1,.in which the bottom portion of the cup-like air outlet from the top of the member extendsbelow the liquid level in the reservoir.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which means is provided for transmitting the pressure in the cup-like member to the liquid seal chamber.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the inlet tube terminates below the normal static liquid level in the reservoir.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which a restricted centrally disposed opening forms the aperture in the bottom of the cup.

6. A device as set forth in claim-1, in which a cap is positioned over the opening in the bottom of the cup in spaced relation thereto.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the space between thelower portion of the casing andvthe upwardly extending walls of the cup-like member varies in cross sectional area in an upward direction.

- 8. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the upwardly extending. walls of the cuplike member terminate at an intermediate point in the casing whereby the space occupied by the filtering material in the upper portion of the casing has a larger cross sectional area than the space between the inlet tube and the walls of the cup-like member.

of such devices in internal c 'omthat the basic prim thereto and spaced there from'the tube and from the' between the, tube and easingthe pressure effective to deliver i 9. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the upwardly extending walls of Y the cuplike member are shaped at the top to form a restricted passage-way.

10. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the casing and the reservoir are cylindrical and of substantially the same diameter, the liquid seal chamber between the lower portion of the casing and the'overlapping reservoir being formed with. a diameter less than the lower portion of the casing.

11. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which the lower ortion of the casing is vertically corrugated whereby the inner portions of the corrugations may contact with the upwardly extending walls of the cup-like member, said corrugations forming oil return passage-ways.

. 12. An air cleaner comprising a casin air inlet and outlet means to said casing, ltering material positioned in the casing, means associated with the casing for containing a body of liquid, means for delivering liquid from said containing means for passage with the air into the filtering material, the rate of delivery being determined by the pressure in the containing means, means transmitting substantially the pressure at the outlet means to a portion of the surface of the'liquid body for displacement of the liquid, e liquid chamber in communication with the liquid containing means below in, and means effective to apply a pressure substantially above the pressure atthe outlet means to the liquid in said chamber, whereby liquid from the liquid body is regulated by the pressures transmitted to the llquid containing means.

13. An air cleaner comprising a casing, air inlet and outlet means to said casing, filtering material positioned in the casing, means associated with the casing for containing a body of liquid, means for delivering liquid from said containing means for passage with the air into the filtering material, the rateof delivery being determined by the pressure in the containing means, a liquid displacement chamber in communication with the liquid containing means below the liquid level therein, means effective to transmit substantially the pressure at the outlet means to said chamber, a liquidchamber in communication with the liquid containing means below the liquid level therein, and means effective to apply a. pressuresubstantially above the pressure at the outlet means to the liquid in said chamber, whereby the pressure effective to deliver liquid from the liquid body is regulated by the pressures transmitted to the liquid containing means.

14. A device as set forth in claim 13 in which the displacement chamber varies in cross sections taken perpendicular to its vertical dimension, whereby the amount of liqthe liquid level thereuid displaced varies at a rate difierent than the rate of variation of the pressure at the outlet means.

15. A device as set forth in claim 13, in which the means for transmitting the outlet pressure to the liquid body forms a. liquid return passage-way for directing liztuidfrom the filtering material to the liquid Ody.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

WALTER 0. WILSON. 

